Mechanical piano-player.



J. GOURVILLB. MEGHANICALPIANO PLAYER.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.15, 1910.

1,018,167. Patented Fb.20,1912.

a W W M 1.

' tures in the tracker board.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH COURVILLE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MECHANICAL PIANO-PLAYER.

ings, which form a part of this specification. My invention relates tomechanaeal piano- I players and the object-of my improvements bodying my invention.

1s to provide an apparatus for passing the music sheet over the tracker board and one that shall more accurately locate the music sheetand direct its course. I secure this object in the device illustrated in the 'accompanying drawing, in which, 7

Figure 1, is a section of an apparatus cm- Fig. 2, is a front elevation of the same, a part of the music sheet being cut away to show the tracker board. Fig. 3, is a detail view partly in section.

A, indicates the framework for supporting the rolls.

B, is the music roll and C,-- the roll upon which the music sheetpasses from the music roll.

D, is the tracker board and F, is the music sheet. The sheet F passes from the music roll B over the tracker board and onto the roll C.

E, is an auxiliary roller formed with a greater diameter toward its center and tapering toward both ends having guiding flanges-E E atits ends and located be tween the music roll B and the tracker board D so that the music sheet F shall be bent inward between the roll and the tracker board, as indicated in Fig. 1.

e, e, are pintles extending from the ends of the rbll Eand coaxiallywith'said roll.

'- G, G, are set screws passing through holes -in theupright side of the frame A, A, and

provided with screw threads engaging threads in said holes. The inner ends of the set-screws G, G, ar e hollowed out at g, g.

d, indicates apertures in the tracker board through which the air is drawn to operate the keys.

f, indicates the apertures in the music.

sheet which should register with the aper- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15, 1910.

Patented Feb. 20,1912.

Serial No. 555,577.

My improvement is designed especially to be used with the form of instrument in which eighty-eight keys are operated and therefore the apertures cl and f are made small in order that a large number may be got within the available space; By adjusting the setscrews G, G, the position of the roller E may be adjusted laterally. Whenrthe rollers are in 0 eration the effect of the form of the roller which enlarges from its ends toward its center, is to hold the music sheet accuratelv'in position and out of contact with the flanges at the ends of the roller E.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a music roll, a tracker board having a. plurality of apertures, a storage roll on the opposite side of the tracker board from the music -roll, a

. guide roll interposed between the music roll and tracker board and so pos'itionedas to give a tension to a sheetpassing fromthe music roll over the tracker board, the said guide roll having a progressively increased diameter from the ends to the midpoint, a

perforated music sheet stored'on the music roll passed under tension, across the guide roll, the tracker board and on to the storage roll, and means for adjusting the guide roll longitudinally of its axis, so as to line up the perforations on the music sheet with the apertures on the tracker board, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a music roll, a tracker boardhaving a plurality of apertures, a storage roll on the opposite side of the tracker board from the music roll, a guide roll between the music roll and the tracker board and so positioned as to give tension to the sheet passing from the music rollacross the guide roll, the said guide r'oll having flanges on its ends spaced from each other somewhatfa-rther than the width of the sheet intended to'be guided; and also having a greater diameter near its center and tapering toward the flanges, a music sheet stored on the music rpll passed un-' sheets of different widths, is adapted to line theperforation therein up with the apertures on the tracker board by simply ad us ting the guide roll, and to guide the music sheet without injury to its edges, substantially as described.

3. Theebmbination of a frame work, a music roll; a tracker bdard having a p1urality of apertures, a storage roll on the opposite side of the tracker board from the music roll, a guide r011 provided With pintles at its ends, disposed between the music roll and tracker board and of progressively increasing diameter from the ends to the midpoint, thereby adapted to accommodate sheets of varying width without adjustment 1 therefor, a perforated music sheet stored on the music roll passing across the guide r011, tracker board, and on to the storage roll, and

set screws engaging in the frame work in alinement with the axis of the guide r011 provided with hollowed inner ends adapted to act as bearings for the pintles of the'guide roll, whereby music sheets of varying width may be properly lined u with the tracker board by ad uStment of t e set screws in the frame work, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifica' tion in the presence of two witnesses.

- JOSEPH COURVILLE.

Witnesses:

GHARLEs F. BURToN, Enmor'r J. STODDARD. 

